Current Staff Favorites

Ford County by John Grisham

"Returning to the setting of his first novel, A Time to Kill, longtime bestseller Grisham presents seven short stories about the residents of Ford County, Miss. Each story explores different themes-mourning, revenge, justice, acceptance, evolution-but all flirt with the legal profession, the staple of (former attorney) Grisham's oeuvre. Fans will be excited to settle back into Grisham's world, and these easily digestible stories don't disappoint, despite their brevity. Full of strong characters, simple but resonant plotlines, and charming Southern accents, this collection is solid throughout..." PW Annex Reviews (November 2009) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

"In a highly readable form of bibliotherapy, first-time novelist Genova, who holds a doctorate in neuroscience, meticulously traces the downward spiral of a woman suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's disease. ....Still Alice, however, is far from bleak as it depicts both the unalterable course of the disease and the various ways family members can cope with it. Clearly explaining the testing, treatment options, and symptoms of the disease within the context of an absorbing family drama, Genova has written an ideal primer for anyone touched by Alzheimer's."-- Booklist (November 15, 2008) Wilkinson, Joanne Copyright 2008

The Last song by Nicholas Sparks

"#1 bestselling author Nicholas Sparks's new novel is at once a compelling family drama and a heartrending tale of young love.Seventeen year old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alientated from her parents, especially her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church.The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels--first love, love between parents and children -- that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them." - Synopsis

Gabriel García Márques: A Life, by Gerald Martin

If you are a reader who loves to unearth the story behind the story, and if you have read García Márques, as well as other Latin American literary giants, you will truly appreciate Gerald Martin’s masterful biography of the one and only Gabriel García Márques (GGM) - Gabo to his friends and aficionados. You will find this volume in the “New Non-fiction” shelves at EWML.

Martin’s amazingly readable narrative is as well written as any of the works of his subject. He breathes vivid life into decades of the intellectual and political conflicts of an entire continent.

It has never been a secret; GGM managed to keep centered into the thick of things, both literary and political. His official biographer, as he is referred to by Gabo, treats his subject’s trials and triumphs, fame and foibles with fairness and dexterity.

Martin’s masterpiece gathers many literary giants between its covers, (Mario Vargas LLosa, Alvaro Mutis, Carlos Fuentes, to name only a few) much as they gathered together in life. He delves for insight into Gabo’s controversial relationship with politicians such as Cuba’s Fidel Castro, his conflict with the government of his native Columbia, including the conflicts with his closest family members and friends.

Without succumbing to the temptation to insert literary criticism into the pages, Martin, nevertheless, succeeds in unlocking the vault of García Marques’s inspiration. The story of the man who wrote the stories is as mind boggling as the works of fiction he produced.

In spite of his comprehensive volume, Gerald Martin leaves me wanting to read more, not only about Gabo or his literary output, but more of Martin’s own works. One reading of “Gabriel García Márques, A Life” is not enough; what greater compliment exists than “asking for seconds?”

Patricia Salerno

"How to Read Literature Like a Professor" by Thomas C. Foster

When should a book that resides in the “Teen” section of the library present itself in the Adult Book Blog? In this reader’s opinion, it has its place when the book is “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” by Thomas C. Foster (Call number: Teen 808 Foster).

In spite of the somewhat intimidating tone of the title, this 299 page soft cover volume is fun to read, especially for readers of all ages who love to read about reading. Author Thomas Foster, Professor of English at the University of Michigan at Flint, writes in a conversational style that makes some of us wish we could be a “fly on the wall” in his lecture hall. Those adult readers who often re-read literature will enjoy Professor Foster’s take on works that challenged us as teen readers, some of which selections continue to present less than an “easy read” for mature bibliophiles.

The author includes a suggested reading list ranging from familiar fairy tales to Joyce’s “Ulysses.” He also offers a few titles he terms as “Master Class,” as well as secondary sources to guide the reader through literary pilgrimages. It’s a short, funky, do-it-yourself travel guide through a few fields of the Western Canon, a place to begin- to either explore their mysteries or to revisit them in order to unravel the maze.

I give it a thumbs-up and will re-read it in portions as time goes by.

However, witty and lighthearted as Foster’s style may be, some young teens may not have yet been introduced to enough of the literary examples used throughout his book to induce them to read it through. Therefore, if for no other reason, I believe “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” should share the spotlight in a blog designated for those of us who once were “teens.”

Patricia Salerno